


safe here in your arms

by Sunset_Pan (patwrites)



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 06:04:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17637197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patwrites/pseuds/Sunset_Pan
Summary: Zen takes care of a shaken up reader. Takes place in 10th day of Zen's route. Some spoilers.





	safe here in your arms

“Okay, now what?” you sighed, relieved to finally be away from drama and danger. You stood on Zen’s bed, hands in your lap, unsure of what to do with yourself now that you’d calmed down and things seemed to be looking up – both in the search for Unknown and the proof of Zen’s innocence. Zen was in the kitchen, whistling to himself as he went about making you dinner, so it was just you in his bedroom. You found it incredibly sweet of him to make you dinner, although you’d insisted you weren’t hungry and could make the food yourself anyway.

 _‘Nonsense, princess. You haven’t eaten anything all day, I must feed you. Besides, you’re in my house, what kind of host would I be if I let you cook the food hmm? Now go lie down until dinner’s done and don’t you worry that pretty head of yours,’_ he’d said, kissing the crown of your head and smiling down at you with that soft smile of his that seemed reserved for you only, before he ventured into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the both of you.

You weren’t used to being taken care of. You’d been on your own from a young age, much like Zen, and you’d learned to take care of your needs on your own. You were independent – which didn’t mean you didn’t sometimes feel the need to be pampered – so the feeling of just lying down and waiting for someone else to cook your food was alien to you.

Still, you relished the feeling.

You sighed once more then got up off the bed. You inspected Zen’s room a bit, without prying too much into his personal life, before deciding to go to Zen.

He was cutting up some vegetables while something was sizzling in the pan, all the while humming some tune under his breath and swaying his hips. He looked incredibly domestic, and you couldn’t help the smile that blossomed on your face at the sight of your lovely Zen being finally happy and at ease.

“What are you doing here? I thought I told you to lie down until I call you,” Zen asked when he looked up and saw you leaning against the doorframe.

“Got bored without you,” you replied, “thought I’d watch you cook and keep you company if you won’t let me help.”

“Damn right I won’t,” Zen scowled. He finished cutting up the vegetables and threw them in a bowl for now, directing his attention back to the pan. “Take a seat. Would you like something to drink? I’m afraid I only have beer, but I can run to the store and grab you something else.”

You stepped into the kitchen fully now and headed for the fridge, puling the door open and grabbing a can of beer. “Beer’s fine, Zen, don’t worry.”

You pulled out a chair and sat down at the table across from Zen where you had a perfect view of his backside as he fumbled around at the stove. He turned around to grab the bowl of vegetables, dumped them in the pan then kept stirring. When he was done, he left the contents to sizzle contently in the pan then turned back to you.

Zen smiled when you took a sip of the beer and pulled a face as the cold beverage attacked your teeth, then sat down across from you.

“You don’t like beer?”

“No, no, it’s not that. I tolerate it, but I should’ve let it warm up a bit before drinking,” you admitted sheepishly.

Zen hummed and took a gulp from his own can, so you took that chance to look around at the kitchen a bit, curiosity burning underneath your skin.

“Do you want to change your clothes?” Zen asked, pointing at your torn sweater. You’d ripped it when you fought Unknown but hadn’t paid it much mind until now.

“Can I borrow something of yours until I get my clothes?”

Zen’s face lit up. “Yes, of course. Come on.”

He guided you back to his bedroom, where he opened his closet and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. The pants were too long for you, and the shirt a bit tight considering his lean frame, but you could make it work.

“Tell me if they don’t fit and I’ll look for something else.”

“These are fine, don’t worry,” you smiled. He nodded and left the room, pulling the door after him as he went to leave you to change. You peeled the clothes off of you, dumping them into a pile that would need to go straight to the garbage bin, then pulled on Zen’s clothes. As expected, you stepped on the legs of the sweatpants because they were too long and the shirt was a bit tight around your breasts. You felt a bit self-conscious to walk around like that while you were alone with a guy, but you didn’t have much of a choice now did you.

You sighed, resigned, and walked out of the room, keeping your arms crossed around your chest and your eyes hidden by your hair.

“Are you done, babe? Did the clothes fit you?” Zen asked, when he heard your bare feet on the tiles, and turned around to look at you. You forced yourself to pull your arms away and have them hanging at your sides, but still wouldn’t dare look at him directly, sneaking glances out of the corner of your eyes.

Zen’s mouth went slack for a second before he seemed to pull himself together. He cleared his throat.

“I could uhm. I could look for another shirt.”

His cheeks were stained pink, almost red, and the sight made you giggle a bit.

“I don’t want to bother you any more than I already have, Zen. I’ll just wear these until tomorrow,” you said. “Unless…it bothers you?”

“Me? Honey, you shouldn’t think about me now. I want _you_ to be comfortable in your skin around me.”

“As long as you don’t stare I guess I’ll be fine,” you blushed a bit, hurrying to take your seat at the table again. You took a gulp of your now much warmer beer, and sighed.

“Of course! Don’t even worry about that.”

You nodded and smiled.

Dinner was done not long after, and you made idle conversation with Zen between bites. He cleaned up afterwards, washing the dishes and leaving you to finish your beer, then when the time for bed came he looked at you with a soft look.

“You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch. You can lock the door if you want, too.”

“You don’t need to do that, Zenny! I can sleep just fine on the couch,” you protested. “Or…”

“Or what, princess?” Zen asked, voice a tad bit darker.

“…You could sleep in bed with me. I trust you, I know you wouldn’t do anything.”

A bit of silence then, “Okay.”

You went to bed first, crawling under the covers and pulling the blankets up to your nose to try and ignore your rapidly beating heart. You knew nothing would happen, because you didn’t want anything to, and you trusted Zen with your life, but the prospect of sleeping next to him still made your blood pressure rise.

You heard Zen shuffle around in the bathroom before he came in the bedroom and slowly slid under the covers as well. Neither of you said anything for a while, the room completely silent for a beat, then Zen asked you, “Is it okay if I hold you?”

Your face peaked up from under the blankets and you nodded when you saw those mesmerizing red eyes searching your face. “Yes, please,” your voice was small, quiet, and for the first time since you’d been on your own you allowed yourself to be vulnerable and weak, to seek comfort and protection from someone else.

Zen didn’t hesitate to scoot closer to you and wrap you up in his arms, your face hidden away in his chest. You breathed in his scent, both on you and around you, and you felt yourself relax, your muscles melting against the warm, protective body next to you.

“I was so scared, Zen,” you admitted into the quiet of the night and the protection of two loving arms. “I’m glad I’m here with you now, thank you for taking care of me.”

Zen kissed your hair, tightening his arms around you. “You don’t need to thank me, that’s my job. I’ll always protect you, babe. You don’t ever have to be scared again, not while I’m alive.”

You pulled your face away from his chest and looked up into his eyes with pure, unadulterated innocence and vulnerability. You kissed his jaw softly, then buried your face in the crook of his neck, muffling a yawn.

Zen chuckled then maneuvered the two of you in a more comfortable position, then snuggled as close to you as possible. “Go to sleep, princess. I’ll be here in the morning when you wake up.”

“Mmm, love you Zen,” you said instead of good night, mind drifting off to sleep already.

“Love you too,” Zen replied to no one, seeing as you started snoring softly. He sighed, content and relaxed now that you were in his arms, where you were safe, and drifted off to sleep as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! You can find me on tumblr @jarvis-ismy-copilot or my mysme sideblog @mysmewiththatbullshit


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